Chapter 3: Limited and Expensive Chocolates

Lev placed the child in his arms down when that person finally showed his face today.

Talk about being irresponsible. He couldn’t even make it to his daughter’s events- he is even two weeks late to make it up to her.

Can’t you call your child if you can’t come? That child waited for him to show up- she believed he would show up eventually.

In the end, she was destined to be disheartened. But not only did she not hate her father- she was so happy to see him.

Immediately forgetting how she wanted to play with Lev in the gardens earlier.

“Daddy!” The man knelt down and hugged his daughter. As always, he was dressed in his tacky white shirt and black pants- as well as his black suit jacket.

His hair- which reached his neckline was tied into a messy ponytail.

It’s really a ruffian looking person. The only thing that kept his image looking acceptable was his face.

Hah, it’s really good when you have a handsome face. Even if you’re a scum it still makes you appear clean.

“I’m so sorry Shuyi. Dad was not able to accept your calls- I’ll make it up to you when I can, okay?” the child crossed her arms- pretending to be upset with him. Of course they all knew she would never be upset with her daddy.

Menqing sighed as she stood with Lev looking at the two of them.

“She’s been clamouring since earlier- asking if you’re already on the way.”

“There was a traffic jam, so it took me a while to get here. Did you miss me that much, my Shuyi?” he pinched her cheeks, making the little girl pout.

“Of course! Daddy doesn’t come by so often…” Lev saw the tinge of sadness cross the usually energetic eyes of Li Shinyi- before the man handed the child his gift for this visit.

“Daddy, what is this?” She looked at the big box in his hand- its packaging was an elegant and huge red colour. With golden writings on top of it.

Fabbrica Del Cioccolato- Amedei Porcelana- and was even in a custom-made box.

“Just chocolates.” Lin Shiyi smiled. Hearing chocolates, the little girl wanted to open it then and there. The man laughed, and told her to open it inside the house.

Lev glanced at Lin Shiyi- then at the fifty bars of Amedei Porcelana on the table- and then his relaxed expression.

Lev had bought these chocolates before- his niece was always clamouring for it whenever there’s a restock. After all, Amedei Porcelana was the type of chocolate that isn’t easy to make. Not only was it artisan made chocolates- it is also made from rare cocoa that only grows in certain places like Venezuela and the amount of cocoa harvested every time only amounts to three thousand kilos.

The Amedei Luxury Chocolatier only produces up to twenty thousand porcelana bars- and they are always bought after restocking.

Their family always bought about half of the produced bars- since the children seemed to like it so much. But buying so much, to Lev’s family, was not that surprising.

They were wealthy- that purchase would not even put a dent on their wallets.

But it would be suspicious if a guy like Li Shinyi- who has no stable job, fools around, job hops, and often gets drunk out of his mind every time he has money- was able to leisurely buy these luxury chocolates.

You have to be financially stable to buy these things- to put it bluntly. He doesn’t look down on him for being poor, he is just suspicious.

Where did you get the money? All your small jobs could never give you the amount you need to lavishly spend on expensive things.

“Thank you daddy!”

“You are welcome. Is it good?” the child nodded- her eyes shimmering like thousands of stars in the sky.

“So yummy! Daddy, where is this from?”

“Far.” It should be Tuscany Italy. Specifically in Pontedera- a town in the province of Pisa.

Did he go there? But he said he would be out working in another part of the country- so he lied?

Suspicious, Lev decided to make a call to one of his subordinates after Li Shinyi left.

The result was- Li Shinyi was really out of the country- but his whereabouts that time was not in Italy.

“London? He was in England?”

“Yes sir.” What would he be doing there? He also thought of the possibility of it being delivered to the latter- but there were no purchases made under his name in London or Italy.

So where the heck did he get it? Also, the chocolate was just launched today- how did he get those bars?

“Sir, I don’t know if it’s related but we checked Amedei’s record sales just in case- the only person who bought fifty chocolates directly from Amedei and had it packaged with a custom-made box in Fabricca Del Cioccolato, was Mr. Demidov.”

“Demidov? What is that old man doing in Tuscany?”

“Ah it’s not him- his son. Mr. Demidov was in other parts of Italy- He was in Venice, attending a wedding at the time of purchase.”

“Khloff?”

“No sir- Mr. Khloff Demidov is in their company in South Korea.”

“So which son is it? Was it that good-for-nothing adopted Засранец (Zasranets) called Dominik?“

“No sir- it’s Mr. Kovich Alexandr Demidov.” The figure flashed in his memories- it was a face he didn't see much in the Demidov house or any of the parties of the Elite society.

“ Where is he now?”

“He’s already back in Moscow, sir.”

“Where was he last month?” the subordinate on the other line pulled out the records and raised a brow-

“He was in London, sir.” London? So he was really… Lev frowned, his eyes dark.

“Check the relations between him and Li Shinyi.”

“Yes sir.” How can Lin Shiyi be friends with a member of Demidov? Those dogs- they’re not good news at all. Lev’s family has a somewhat ‘respectful’ relationship with them. Although both parties never cross each other if avoidable- they sometimes have to clash head-on.

But to suddenly be friends with someone related to his wife and even he- himself… What are those dogs planning now?

Also, if he finds out Li Shinyi is doing shady things with them... regardless of Menqing and Shuyi’s feelings he would have to send the man to his grave early.

He does not tolerate any kind of threat- however small it is.

Lev thought they became acquainted only recently- because he had already checked Li Shinyi’s background and a person like Kovich never showed up on the report.

So he thought, they must be brewing something.

But he had no time to investigate Li Shinyi later on because his wife suddenly collapsed- and had to be brought to the hospital.

At that time, Li Shinyi was sitting at home on his time off, and he received the news of her collapse from Shuyi. She called her father in tears- startling the man who arrived in the hospital immediately.

“Lung cancer, stage four.” When the doctor said that, the world seemed to fall on them. Menqing was silent- and she asked the doctor how long she has to live.

“...four months at best.”

“Bullshit…! Can we do something to save her?!” Li Shinyi desperately asked. The doctor has been here for almost a decade- family members always react like this. Of course- who would remain calm after hearing their family is about to die? So he tilted his glasses and shook his head-

“No, I am afraid not.” Lev stared at the results in his hands- his face filled with can only be devastation.

He finally found someone, and yet the world takes her away from him?

He was unwilling- so he wanted to do what he could to save Menqing.

From prolific doctors, to new methods- he supported Menqing through it. He cared not about money- he had a lot of that.

Whatever it takes to cure her or make her comfortable-

But as the doctor said- her body was already at its limit. If they had detected the condition much earlier then she could have survived.

Menqing died in pain- she said she already knew she was sick, but always chalked it up to being exposed to pollen outside. She thought her nausea and her coughs were just allergies- if only she was more careful…she wouldn’t have to die.

But she also expressed her happiness- she didn't want to be in a hospital at all. She was still going to die soon anyway- so it was good that she could celebrate her baby’s sixth birthday. She was also happy she could participate in her school family day one last time.

She was happy she could marry a man like Kovich- it was a dream come true. She even talked to Li Shinyi about her past grudges and said sorry to him for cheating on him with her boss- which was Lev.

“He was so good to me, and I was tempted. I am not a good person like everyone said I was… I have wronged you, but I don't regret it. I’m sorry. “

“Admitting that right now when you are leaving… Menqing is always so harsh to me.” the woman on the hospital bed laughed lightly-

“Are you not harsh on me too? I was.. Desperate to get out of that situation with you. Not for money, but for my mental sanity- you reflect your own flaws on me- and I see that my child cannot continue living like that…”

“I know. I don’t blame you for anything- not at all.” Menqing smiled, and grasped his hand with whatever strength she had left.

“You are a good person, Li Shinyi. “

“How am I a good person, huh?” He lightly chuckled- his eyes filled with sadness. It was always so hard to part with a person you knew would never come back.

Like his comrades- and now, Menqing.

She leaned towards him with a whisper.

“I know all of it, Li Shinyi. Do you really think I would not know?” The man gave her a look of confusion- and Menqing squeezed his hand- her originally smiling face serious.

“For our child, Li Shinyi- for the safety of our child please… Can you retire?” Li Shinyi’s body shook- the colours on his face draining at a speed visible to the naked eyes. How did Menqing know?

“Menqing- how did you…”

“Know that you work in that organization that helps the government with ‘cleaning up’? Or that I knew that when you disappeared from time to time-it is without the guarantee of returning? I didn’t know much before- but you become careless when you are at home.”

“Menqing-”

“It was a small note in your pockets- I saw it while doing laundry. At first I didn’t know what W.O.I. meant- but then I saw it being mentioned in the news one time- then I became curious. They say it’s not real, they say people make up the stories about W.O.I.- but you…you are too relaxed when you get home. I found things, and then pieced it up with my research.” Li Shinyi silently looked at his ex-wife, before bowing his head with a small sad smile.

“You are truly an intelligent woman.”

“Shinyi, you must understand. From now on, our child only has you. “

“I can’t leave, not now.”

“But when?! Shinyi, I am dying- our child needs at least one of us. Please…!” Li Shinyi couldn’t say anything- and Menqing, who knew him far too well, knew that it was useless to talk to him.

“I will be there for her- I promise you. Just a few more years Menqing. Just a bit more.” The woman closed her eyes and sighed heavily.

“I see.”

At the age of twenty seven- Shao Menqing passed away. Her burial was a gloomy day- it was as if the world itself was also mourning her death.

Everyone who knew and loved her stood by to watch them lower her casket. The priest offered prayers, and then people started to throw in white roses- before workers covered her up with soil and erected a tombstone.

Later on, it will be cemented and a mausoleum will be built over it.

“Mommy! Mommy! Huhuhuhu!” Li Shinyi held his daughter- eyes numb and red. Lev was talking to those who came to see his wife off for the last time- before turning back to them.

“It’s time to go.” Li Shinyi wiped his daughter’s tears, and followed the silent man towards his car.

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